Élan Wanderlust

I started wearing makeup at the age of 16. I had always been advised to not to wear a lot. Instead, I was told to take care of my skin rather than lathering foundation and contour on my face.

I am grateful for all of this advice I received in my formative years. But, on the days when I do wear makeup, it’s minimal.

I have gathered a list of my go-to brands and exact shade name/number. These are for anyone who has a similar Mediterranean/Central Asian skin tone. This skin tone tans easily. Be ready to have 2 different shades for the same product throughout the year; one for summer, and one for colder months.

Tinted moisturizer

I will always choose this type of face product over any foundation. It lets your skin breathe. It is also less of a shock at the end of the day when you remove your makeup. If you have problematic skin, address that first holistically through good nutrition. Follow a good diet and use supplements instead of wearing heavy foundation.

My go to tinted moisturizer has always been Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser Natural Skin Perfector SPF30. I use the shade Bisque for the entire year, except for summer, when I use Tawny. The slideshow below features the brand’s own shade swatches on two models (photo credit to John Lewis). Bisque is first and Tawny is the second image.

Concealer

I only wear this around my eye area to even out the face colour. It’s either NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger or Hourglass Vanish™ Airbrush Concealer in the shade Dune.

Both have good quality ingredients, with Hourglass providing a more mattifying finish.

Price wise: Hourglass’ concealer is more expensive by around £5.

Mascara

I change the brand of my mascara whenever it finishes. I am not a mascara loyalist by any means. I have enjoyed Huda Beauty mascaras in the past as well as Chanel.

These days I am using ‘clean beauty’ formulas such as e.l.f. Lash ‘N Roll Mascara Black. It provides quite a natural look. If you want something dramatic, but with the downside of flaky/drying mascara, then Huda Beauty is your best bet.

Blush

Ok, I did say I wasn’t a mascara loyalist, but I am absolutely a blush loyalist. The day INGLOT goes into administration will be a dark blot on my existence. I love their affordable blush.

It seems to last forever and it’s less than 15 EUR/12 GBP. I use the shade 125 – AMC.

I have tried other brands such as MAC, Too Faced and even Dior, but I will always use INGLOT.

Update: After checking for the INGLOT shade in the United Kingdom on 26th September 2024, it seems that INGLOT has reduced its offerings significantly here and instead focuses on mainland Europe 🙁 Some similar shades to INGLOT’s 125 AMC would be:

MAC Sheertone Blush in Pinch Me

HAUS LABS BY LADY GAGA Color Fuse Talc-Free Powder Blush in French Rosette

Eyeliner

Despite my desire to do things ‘outside of the box’, I found myself following mainstream eyeliner trends for many years. I only used black eyeliner up to 2019.

My life changed radically when I came across a makeup tutorial on YouTube from Hindash, a Lebanese makeup artist. His models had a similar skin tone and face structure to mine so I was engrossed in his videos. I quickly sought out the NARS pencil eyeliner in Mambo as that was his go-to shade for his models.

Since that day, I have not turned back to black eyeliner. I only use it for the rare one day in a year when I want to have a dramatic eye-look.

Current eyeliners:

MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Colour Pencil : Eye. Lip and Brow Pencil – 608-Limitless Brown

MAC Eye Kohl in Costa Riche (I have used this one religiously for 2 years since discovering it at De Bijenkorf)

Lipstick and lipliner

I have also become a lipstick loyalist. I tried different brands such as Huda Beauty (matte lipsticks are too drying) and Chanel’s rouge during my University days.

Since the past 2 years, nude lipsticks have become a staple part of my makeup routine. I am opting for Dior or Lancome due to their long-lasting formulas. Their formulas are equally nourishing for my lips. Scroll down for a shade comparison + matching lipliner recommendations!

My go-to shades since 2022: DIOR Rouge Forever in 200 or DIOR Rouge Forever in 505 Sensual (move the slider below to compare)

Lipliners:

Givenchy Lip Liner in 09 Moka Renversant (this one goes well with any nude lipstick)

DIOR Rouge Dior Contour Lip Liner in matching shade 200 for the lipstick mentioned above

Setting powder/blotting paper

The iconic Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder is swept across my face at the end of my makeup routine. This has been the case since I first discovered it 3 years ago.

Throughout the day I use DHC blotting papers (cheap and cheerful, also no harsh chemicals involved!) to remove any excess oily skin on the T-Zone and chin.

Oily T-Zone Goodbye! Matte makeup look, let’s go!